Telescoping boot tree



June 8, 1965 J. R. M CABE TELESCOPING BOOT TREE Filed Sept. 4, 1962 INVENTOR. B. MCCHBE flrraezveys.

United States Patent 3,187,357 TELESCOPING BOOT TREE John R. McCabe, 350 S. San Rafael, Pasadena, Calif.

Filed Sept. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 221,284 3 Claims. (Cl.,12-114.8)

This invention relates generally to boot trees, and more particularly has to do with improvements in boot trees usable in riding boots and the like.

Among the objects of the invention .are the provision.

As broadly conceived, the tree includes a boot shoe insert and strap holder, together with novel actuator means for positioning the insert in a boot shoe in response to generally downward depression and relative collapsing of a pair of actuator sections and for lifting the strap holder in response to relative upward expansion of the upper section while the lower section remains downwardly depressed. In one of its forms, the strap holder is carried by the upper section and the upper section is carried by the lower section, and'in this regard the upper sectionmay include a handle yieldably urged upwardly relative to the lower section so that the user may collapse the sections by exerting downward thrust against the handle.

With respect to the quick adjustment feature, the adjustment means provides for rapid and releasable locking of upper and lower sectionsrin any of a series of selected positions, accommodating selective hooking of the holder into straps of different size boots, as well as upward ten sioning thereof upon relative collapse of the sections followed by release and relative expansion thereof. Also, the invention contemplates the provision on the tree of both toe and heel inserts, these being relativelyspreadable with over-center action to stretch the boot shoe in response to downward, thrusting and collapse of the upper and lower actuator sections.

These and other objects and advantages or the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a section-a1 side elevation taken through a riding boot with the tree shown therein;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged frontal elevation of the upper portion of the tree showing both upper and lower sections of the actuator;

FIG. 3 is a view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation taken through the tree length adjustment means;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation showing a modified shoe insert attached to the tree actuator; and

FIG. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a riding boot is shown at 10 as having a shoe portion 11 and a boot upper portion 12 which it is desired to tension upwardly relative to the shoe portion when the boot is not in use. A riding boot is selected for purposes of illustration, it being understood that the invention is applicable to other type boots, as for example western boots. Such upward tensioning is typically exerted on a boot strap or straps such as are shown at 13. These are typically attached, as by sewing the band portions 14 thereof, to the insides of the boot upper portion, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, whereby the loop portions 15 of the strap are lifted upwardly to exert tension on the boot upper portion 12.

The novel tree is shown in full lines at 16 in FIG. 1, as being fully inserted and positioned in the boot. The broken lines in FIG. 1 show a partially inserted position of the actuator, as will be more fully described. The actuator itself includes a shoe insert 17, a boot strap holder 18, and actuator means for positioning the insert in a boot shoe in response to generally downward and relative collapse of a. pair. of actuator sections, the actuator means also providing for lifting of the holder 18. in response to relative upward expansion of one downwardly depressed section while the other section remains downwardly depressed. Typical actuator sections are shown generally at 19 and 20 in FIG. 1, with the holder 18. being carried by the. upper section 19, the latter in turn being carried by the lower section 20.

The illustrated upper section 19 includes a handle 21 which is movable axially and upwardly relative to the,

lower section 20, and particularly the lower section tube 22 upon which the handle is mounted; As better shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the handle contains 'a bore 23 into which the tubing, 22 is relatively movable against a compression springu24. The latter is confined between the handle bore interior shoulder 25. and the head 26 on the the broken line position 18a shown in FIG. 2. The latter position illustrates thev holder arms 31 inserted within the strap loops 15 to urge them upwardly when, the handle is released.

Reference to FIG. 4 shows the provision of adjustment; 'means for locking the tubular members 22 and; 131 in any of av series of selected, positions accommodating selective hooking of the holder arms 31 into straps 13 of different size boots, upon. relative, collapse of the upper and lower sections 19 and 20. In this connection, it will be noted that the tubular members 22. .and' 131 telescopically interfit one another, the tube 131 having axially spaced openings 32 for receiving aspring urged detent 33. The

latter is carried by the tube 22, as by attachment of a spring end thereof and is movable inwardly to clear the openings 32 and against the force exerted by a bowed spring 34 contained within the interior of tube 22. Accordingly, the detent may be allowed to lock the inner and outer tubes 22 and 131 in any of a series of selected adjustment position-s of telescopic interfit, corresponding to dilierent boot heights.

When the actuator is first inserted into the boot, its center line may take the position shown in broken lines 35 in FIG. 1, with the shoe insert then in the partially inserted broken line position 36. The actuator is then depressed generally downwardly as by exerting downward force on the handle 21 to collapse the upper and lower sections 19 and 20 and thereby push the shoe insert into the full line position shown at 17 in FIG. 1, i.e. fully inserted position. This step may be accomplished very rapidly and easily byvirtue of the construction of the actuator, the strap holder arms 31 remaining above the top of the boot. Next, the actuator is brought into approximately vertical alignment as shown in FIG. 1, as by rocking the actuator about the pivot 37 by means of which the lower tube 131 is attached to the shoe insert 17. The handle 21 may then be manipulated against the force of the spring 24 to hook the arms 31 into the strap loops 15, detent 33 at this time locking the tubes 22 and 131 against relative telescopic movement. Upon release of the handle, the strap holder arms 31 move upwardly to tension the straps and the boot upper portion 12, the spring 24 supplying the tensioning Patented June 8, 1965- force. At the same time, the lower section 20 remains downwardly depressed in the full line position shown in FIG. 1. It is found that the actuator and shoe insert may be very rapidly thrust into a boot, as by one downward motion, and that at virtually the same time the strap holder arms 31 may be hooked into the loops 15. Thereafter, the handle may be released to tension the boot upper 12, considerably simplifying the operation of properly stretching the boot shoe and upper. Removal of the tree involves slight downward depression of the handle and rearward pivoting thereof about the pivot 37 to retract the holder arms 31 from the strap loops, followed by partial release of the handle and upward retraction thereof to pull the actuator and shoe insert from the boot.

The modified tree shown in FIGS. and 6 incorporates the same actuator as previously described. In addition, the boot tree incorporates inserts 38 and 39 for the boot toe and heel, these inserts being spread away from one another in response to downward depression of the actuator sections. The spreading action, may be supplied by the toggle linkage shown as including forward and rearward links 40 and 41 respectedly connected to the toe and heel inserts. Both links are pivotal ly'connected to the actuator tube 31 as by the pivot 42 which extends through the tube to connect to the links as seen in FIG. 6. The forward link 40 is pivotally connected at 43 to a bracket 44 attached to the toe insert, whereas the rear link 41 is integral with the heel insert 39.

I claim:

1. In a boot tree, a shoe insert and a boot strap holder having a strap hooking arm, and actuator means for said insert and holder and including coaxial upper and lower elongated members, adjustment means below the holder for locking said members in any of a series of selected telescopically intenfittin-g positions and for blocking relative rotation of said members, connection means pivotally interconnecting the shoe insert and lower portion of the lower member so that said insert is movable up and down relative to said actuator means, said actuator means also including a handle carried at the top of said upper member for telescopic relative movement therealong between extended and collapsed positions, said handle having a bore above the level of said holder, a compression spring extending in said bore to urge the handle toward said extended position and to resist movement of the handle toward said collapsed position, and means mounting said holder on the handle against turning thereabout and blocking relative rotation of the handle about the axis of said upper member during handle movement between said positions to maintain said holder arm projecting in a generally forward direction facilitating hooking thereof into a boot strap, said members being tubular, the upper tubular member having a lengthwise elongated slot above said adjustment means, said blocking means including a lug carried by the handle and projecting into said slot and below said spring and remaining at the general level of said holder, said adjustment means including a spring urged detent carried below said slot by an inner portion of one tubular member extending telescopically within an outer portion of the other tubular member, said one member inner portion having a first side opening into which said detent is spring urged, said other member outer portion having a series of axially spaced side openings successively registrable with said first opening and sized to receive said detent in different telescopic positions of said members.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which said shoe insert includes toe and heel inserts, said connection means connecting said toe and heel inserts on said lower portion of the lower member for spreading movement away from one another in response to downward depression of said actuator means.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which said lower member and shoe insert are pivotally interconnected by said connecting means to allow swinging of the actuator forwardly and rearwardly relative to the boot for hooking and unhooking said holder into the boot strap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,862,168 6/32 Weiskotten 12114.8 2,253,725 8/41 Plotkin 12114.8

FOREIGN PATENTS 624,746 1/36' Germany. 198,399 9/38 Switzerland.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD V. BENHAM, Examiner. 

1. IN A BOOT TREE, A SHOE INSERT AND A BOOT STRAP HOLDER HAVING A STRAP HOOKING ARM, AND ACTUATOR MEANS FOR SAID INSERT AND HOLDER AND INCLUDING COAXIAL UPPER AND LOWER ELONGATED MEMBERS, ADJUSTMENT MEANS BELOW THE HOLDER FOR LOCKING SAID MEMBERS IN ANY OF A SERIES OF SELECTED TELESCOPICALLY INTERFITTING POSITIONS AND FOR BLOCKING RELATIVE ROTATION OF SAID MEMBERS, CONNECTION MEANS PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTING THE SHOE INSERT AND LOWER PORTION OF THE LOWER MEMBER SO THAT SAID INSERT IS MOVABLE UP AND DOWN RELATIVE TO SAID ACTUATOR MEANS, SAID ACTUATOR MEANS ALSO INCLUDING A HANDLE CARRIED AT THE TOP OF SAID UPPER MEMBER FOR TELESCOPIC RELATIVE MOVEMENT THEREALONG BETWEEN EXTENDING AND COLLAPSED POSITIONS, SAID HANDLE HAVING A BORE ABOVE THE LEVEL OF SAID HOLDER, A COMPRESSION SPRING EXTENDING IN SAID BORE TO URGE THE HANDLE TOWARD SAID EXTENDED POSITION AND TO RESIST MOVEMENT OF THE HANDLE TOWARD SAID COLLAPSED POSITION, AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID HOLDER ON THE HANDLE AGAINST TURNING THEREABOUT AND BLOCKING RELATIVE ROTATION OF THE HANDLE ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID UPPER MEMBER DURING HANDLE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS TO MAINTAIN SAID HOLDER ARM PROJECTING IN A GENERALLY FORWARD DIRECTION FACILITATING HOOKING THEREOF INTO A BOOT STRAP, SAID MEMBERS BEING TUBULAR, THE UPPER TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A LENGTHWISE ELONGATED SLOT ABOVE SAID ADJUSTMENT MEANS, SAID BLOCKING MEANS INCLUDING A LUG CARRIED BY THE HANDLE AND PROJECTING INTO SAID SLOT AND BELOW SAID SPRING AND REMAINING AT THE GENERAL LEVEL OF SAID HOLDER, SAID ADJUSTMENT MEANS INCLUDING A SPRING URGED DETENT CARRIED BELOW SAID SLOT BY AN INNER PORTION OF ONE TUBULAR MEMBER EXTENDING TELESCOPICALLY WITHIN AN OUTER PORTION OF THE OTHER TUBULAR MEMBER, SAID ONE MEMBER INNER PORTION HAVING A FIRST SIDE OPENING INTO WHICH SAID DETENT IS SPRING URGED, SAID OTHER MEMBER OUTER PORTION HAVING A SERIES OF AXIALLY SPACED SIDE OPENINGS SUCCESSIVELY REGISTRABLE WITH SAID FIRST OPENING AND SIZED TO RECEIVE SAID DETENT IN DIFFERENT TELESCOPIC POSITIONS OF SAID MEMBERS. 